Pinckney didn’t exactly suffer in its final season in the KLAA, finishing second behind Brighton in the West Division. School officials decided to move to the Southeastern Conference with the realization that Pinckney might not always be that competitive against the larger schools in the KLAA. Pinckney would still be competitive in the KLAA with this year’s group. Pinckney is now the big boy as a Division 2 football school in a league that is predominantly Division 3. We’ll get an early indication of Pinckney’s chances of winning the SEC in a Week 2 game against a Chelsea team fell two points shy of a state semifinal berth last year.

The transition from coach Jakob Gailitis to Rod Beaton has been pretty smooth during the offseason, considering that Beaton was Pinckney’s defensive coordinator the last five years. But Beaton isn’t a clone of Gailitis, so he will put his own stamp on the team. If the Pirates differ slightly in X’s and O’s, the important thing is that the players have a bond with Beaton and are excited to play for him.

How big a step has quarterback Jack Wurzer taken?

Pinckney’s biggest advantage this season is having the top returning quarterback in Livingston County in senior Jack Wurzer. Having a big-time quarterback can carry a team a long way. Wurzer certainly has that potential for the Pirates after making second-team All-County as a dual threat last year. The dual-threat quarterback threw for 1,420 yards and 11 touchdowns and ran for 559 yards and three scores. He could have a season like Howell’s Ryan Brennan did last year, throwing and rushing for 1,000 yards.

How will track and field speed translate to football?

Several of Pinckney’s football players are coming off of a successful spring in track and field. Nick Cain and Alex Wasyl were particularly explosive on the track, helping Pinckney set a Livingston County record in the 800-meter relay and making All-State in the 1,600 relay. There’s more to football than speed, of course, but it’s a dangerous weapon that could be a huge advantage for the Pirates. Cain and Wasyl have already proven themselves as football players, making second-team All-County last year on defense. With an experienced quarterback getting the ball to the speedsters, Pinckney could fill the highlight reels with big plays this fall.

How many tackles will Cauy Hendee get?

Senior linebacker Cauy Hendee rolled up an amazing total last year with 140 tackles in 11 games. That’s 20 more than any other player in Livingston County and twice as many as the team leaders at some other local schools. He doesn’t have standout linemen Wes Smith and Adam Sieler taking up blockers this year, but Hendee is a year smarter, faster and stronger. If Pinckney can play multiple playoff games again, maybe 150 isn’t out of the question.